Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver Downtown Partnership CEO Kourtny Garrett on Thursday announced the first participants in the Popup Denver program, which is meant to bring back a strong and thriving downtown experience.

Five businesses were selected to receive $20,000 to help them get started with interior design, set up and merchandising support in storefronts that were empty along the 16th Street Mall. Building owners at these storefronts are also giving the new businesses at least three months of free rent.

“Through this program we wanted to really provide an opportunity for local businesses to help reinvent retail downtown by setting up in some of the vacant spaces right here in upper downtown,” Garrett said.

The first businesses selected are:

• Guerrilla Garden
• IEM Designs
• Museum for Black Girls
• Tea with Tae
• Travel Posters

The program is part of the city’s efforts to attract businesses to downtown and develop a retail strategy with the new construction coming to the 16th Street Mall. Hancock said he’s excited to see the downtown area come back as a place for folks to live, work and play.

“Restaurants are filling up and the pulse of our downtown neighborhood is beating with a steady rhythm of recovery,” Hancock said. “… Renewing the downtown experience to be better than it was before (the pandemic) is a priority for all of us, particularly during this recovery season.”

Hancock also said the city will do its best to minimize disruptions and maintain access to 16th Street Mall businesses while renovations are underway following the groundbreaking of the upgrades next week.

Garrett said daily traffic is getting close to its pre-pandemic levels again with about 200,000 daily visitors to the city center and that Downtown Denver Partnership is working to maintain downtown as a clean and safe place for anyone to visit.

Garrett said launching the Downtown Action Team will address environmental issues throughout the area like graffiti, vandalism and broken sidewalks. While her organization is partnering with the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District to get more feet on the ground, Garrett also encouraged folks to get the Clean and Safe app, which allows anyone to report these issues as they see them.

Hancock said safety will continue to be a key priority in the downtown area. He said the city will increase its police presence in the area to address illegal activity.

“Denver’s downtown is so much more than just a central business district,” Hancock said. “We know it’s a place where people gather, where people live, where students learn, where people come to party. … It’s a neighborhood, and it should be a complete neighborhood, a central neighborhood district.”

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver Downtown Partnership CEO Kourtny Garrett on Thursday announced the first participants in the Popup Denver program, which is meant to bring back a strong and thriving downtown experience.

Five businesses were selected to receive $20,000 to help them get started with interior design, set up and merchandising support in storefronts that were empty along the 16th Street Mall. Building owners at these storefronts are also giving the new businesses at least three months of free rent.

“Through this program we wanted to really provide an opportunity for local businesses to help reinvent retail downtown by setting up in some of the vacant spaces right here in upper downtown,” Garrett said.

The first businesses selected are:

• Guerrilla Garden
• IEM Designs
• Museum for Black Girls
• Tea with Tae
• Travel Posters

The program is part of the city’s efforts to attract businesses to downtown and develop a retail strategy with the new construction coming to the 16th Street Mall. Hancock said he’s excited to see the downtown area come back as a place for folks to live, work and play.

“Restaurants are filling up and the pulse of our downtown neighborhood is beating with a steady rhythm of recovery,” Hancock said. “… Renewing the downtown experience to be better than it was before (the pandemic) is a priority for all of us, particularly during this recovery season.”

Hancock also said the city will do its best to minimize disruptions and maintain access to 16th Street Mall businesses while renovations are underway following the groundbreaking of the upgrades next week.

Garrett said daily traffic is getting close to its pre-pandemic levels again with about 200,000 daily visitors to the city center and that Downtown Denver Partnership is working to maintain downtown as a clean and safe place for anyone to visit.

Garrett said launching the Downtown Action Team will address environmental issues throughout the area like graffiti, vandalism and broken sidewalks. While her organization is partnering with the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District to get more feet on the ground, Garrett also encouraged folks to get the Clean and Safe app, which allows anyone to report these issues as they see them.

Hancock said safety will continue to be a key priority in the downtown area. He said the city will increase its police presence in the area to address illegal activity.

“Denver’s downtown is so much more than just a central business district,” Hancock said. “We know it’s a place where people gather, where people live, where students learn, where people come to party. … It’s a neighborhood, and it should be a complete neighborhood, a central neighborhood district.”